Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Microsoft exec compares Apple's iPhone 4 to Windows Vista

A Microsoft executive has said that the iPhone 4 could become Apple's version of the maligned Windows Vista operating system — implying the product could be a misfire that will leave a bad taste in the mouth of consumers.

Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner gave the keynote speech at his company's Worldwide Partner Conference this week, and commented on the iPhone 4 antenna issue that has gained a considerable amount of media attention this week, following a change of opinion on the handset by Consumer Reports. The comments were reported Wednesday by Gregg Keizer of Computerworld.

"It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I'm OK with that," Turner was quoted as saying.

Earlier, he took another jab at Apple, saying that when the multitouch Windows Phone 7 launches later this year on mobile devices, users will "not have to worry about how you're holding it to make a phone call." He said that Microsoft's forthcoming mobile operating system, along with the bad publicity being experienced by Apple, are evidence that Microsoft can still be a force in the mobile phone market.

"We're back in the game," Turner reportedly said. "And this game is not over."

This week's event is not the first time Turner has made disparaging remarks about Apple in public. Last year, he bragged that Microsoft received a phone call from Apple's legal department over the company's "Laptop Hunters" advertisements. Apple reportedly called to complain that the advertisement showed an outdated, higher price for a MacBook Pro. Microsoft later quietly changed the advertisement.

Microsoft is not the only company that's poked fun at the iPhone 4. Earlier this month, Verizon ran a full page ad in The New York Times for Motorola's new Droid X smartphone. "Most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design," the ad read. "The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls. You have a voice. And you deserve to be heard."



113 Comments

timgriff84 16 Years · 910 comments

Always nice to see big companies make fun over their failures while making fun of others.

damn_its_hot 15 Years · 1213 comments

I thought you had to actually have a product to be "in the game".

Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider

"We're back in the game," Turner reportedly said. "And this game is not over."

mike nassour 15 Years · 16 comments

When people line up for Windows phones, then he can talk. Until then, he's just embarrassing himself...and MS.

godrifle 19 Years · 261 comments

Microsoft is *literally* defining The New Dictionary Of Product Failures.

*Vista is the new term for a serious stumble.

Dude, be careful. You don't wanna Vista this project.

*Kin is the new term for major fvckup.

OMFG! This is one unmitigated Kin.

christophb 15 Years · 1479 comments

When MS decides to make phone hardware, are they going to put a red ring of lights on it?